Electric iron



June 6, 1939. c u FREE ET AL 2,161,145

ELECTRIC IRON Filed May 13, 1938 WITNESS XNVENTORS y. Colman/spa FREE 7g WW- fUA/flC/(ERMfl/V ATTORNEYS PM June e, 1939 UNITED STATES ZJLllS We IRON (lm-nelils nas, Wyckofl, and

Aaron Ackermn, Paternal. 1., aslgnors to The Manhattan Shirt Company, New York, N. Y., a cm'porlfioll of New York Application In 13, 1938, SerilLNo. 2.7,678

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This lnvtion relates to electric irons and more particularly to that type which is used for commercial and M purposes in connection with the pressing of men's and women's clothing.

Electric irons have been in extensive use for many years in the factories of garment manufacturers, for instance, manufacturers of men's shirts and ladies dreses and the like, for the purpose of pressing such garments in order to make them presentable upon the counters of the retailers.

Suchelectricironsareusedbytheprmserspractlcally continuously during the whole of a day's work, and are therefore subjected to considerable use. It has been found that such electric l5 irons ultimately short-circuit by reason of the fact that the electric cord and its coverings, by reason of the constant pulling, swaying and movement in use, break or crack at the point of entry into the iron and utimately acros the curm rent-carrying wire, resulting in the operator often obtaining serious burns on the underside of the hand which is closest to the point of entry of the cord into the interior of the iron. It has been found that electric irons as they have been in use for years, develop such short-circuiting and consequent annoyance, practically a month after the iron is put in use.

The object of this invention is to correct the foregoing disadvautag eliminate short-circuiting and protect the operator against burns.

Intbe 1 shows aplanviewof an electric iron embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the iron embody this invention; Fig.3isarearendviewofsuchironwith the internal electrical connections exposed and also showing part of the cable connection into the interior of the iron in section, and Fig. 4 is a view of the underside of an attachment secured to the rearoftheopeningandaroundthecord. The body I oftheironisprovldedwith the usual handle 2, the handle extending substantially from thenose of the iron rearwan'lly and overhanging the heel thereof. .The overhanging or rear portion I of thehandle provides a housin for the electrical connection which is accessible through the opening 5. Theelectrical connecting cord 6 is provided at that portion thereof which passes throughthe body of the handlerwith a tapered rubber sleeve I which, in the usual 4% poundiromisabouttwrincheslongandhasan under-cut portion I whidi enters electrlcalconnection. deviceiisappliedtotberearendoftheiron. 'lblssafetydevicelisprovidedwitha flate" shaped to conform tothe surface contour of a portion of the rear end of the iron and preferably having a peripheral configuration conforming to the opening 5 so that it may be usedto close the same, and a tubular extension ll substantially of the same general configuration as the tapering sleeve I but being in total length less than the length of the sleeve I. The length of the tubular extension is preferably in length equal to one-half of the length of the tubular member I in order that it should cover or surround the buttend half of the sleeve I. The safetymemher 8, that is, the plate It and the tubular ex- "tension II, are made of one pieceof metal stamp ing, the tubular extension being connected by a neck I2 with the plate 10, thereby providing an area of resiliency, permittingslight movement of the tubular extension ll.

The plate It is secured by screws to a portion of the rear end of the iron and the tubular extension ll extends at substantially rightangles from the axis of the handle 2. In the assembled condition, the tubular extension ll surrounds the sleeve I and the sleeve I in turn surrounds-the cord 6. The tubular extension II is shorter than the sleeve I and the sleeve -I is materially shorter than the cord 6, the latter being provided at its end with a plug I! which makes contact with an overhead source of current. The tubular exten--' sion II is preferably made slightly larger in its internal taper than the sleeve I in order that the sleeve I shall have slight movement as the iron is manipulated independently ofthe tubular extension l I. In the type of device shown in Fig. 3, it has been found that the sleeve I at its butt end, the cord 6, and? the wire therein contained, will, from constant use, crack or fracture croswise after about a month's continuous use, causing a shortcircuit and often resulting in the burning of the operators hand. With the safety attachment herein described, applied to the iron, it has been found that the life of the tubing is considerably'extended and the burning of the operator's hand is overcome.

It has been observed in the practical use of the old form of iron that, by reason of the constant backward and forward motion of the iron when in use, particularly in that type of connection where the electrical supply line is overhead, that the cord 6 sways or whips backwardly and forwardl'y between the point of entry of the cord into the iron and the plug l3. This constant sway has been found to be the primary cause of fracture of the cord and the result of the shortcircuit. With the safety device of this invenwithin the tubular extension H is permitted in order to avoid sharp bending of the sleeve i where it contacts-the edge Id of the tubular extension il, which, if the tubular extension ll Were firmly pressed against the sleeve 1, would set up, a plane tending to cause fracture. Thereis also'a tendency of the resilient neck l2 to move slightly in unison with the sway or whip of the,

cord.

We claim:

In an electric iron, a chamber arranged in the rear end of the body of the iron and housing the contacts, a. handle, a safety device arranged to protect the operators hand against being burned should the electric connecting cord break and cause a short circuit, said safety device having a substantially fiat plate, said plate being positioned at the rear end of the iron and normally covering the opening into said chamber and having a peripheral configuration conforming to said chamber, an aperture in the side wall of the chamber between the said plate and the point of the iron, an electric cord adapted to be attached to a source of electric current supply, said cord being covered on the outside with a flexible, nonconducting sleeve formed around said cord for a portion of its length at and in advance of the point of entry of said cord into said aperture, said plate having integrally formed therewith a tubular extension, said extension extending in a sidewise direction from said plate and being turned around saidflexible, non-conducting sleeve and aligned with said aperture, said extension directly supporting said non-conducting sleeve, said plate supporting said extension when the plate is secured over the opening to said chamber, said extension being wholly supported by its integral relation to said plate by a resilient neck.

CORNELIUS DU PREE. AARON ACKERMAN. 

